Someone explain a Broody Hen Plz !

[ldrwnorman47]

I dont know what this means, could someone explain it to me

Thanks

 

[Happy Chooks]

It means that the hen has gone hormonal and she wants to hatch chicks. Broodies will stay on the nest even through the night, puff up at you, make little chittering noises and they don't lay eggs while broody. And sometimes they will pull the feathers off their chest. They will only get up once a day to eat, drink and poo.

You can either let them hatch, get them chicks to adopt, or break them of their broodiness.

Edited for clarification.

 

[ldrwnorman47]

Ok then. I think I have one of these. I dont have a roo so i guess letting her hatch them is out. while she come out of it on her own??

 

[augustmomx2]

I had a BA go broody a few months ago. I really didn't try to break her of it, took her off the nest a few times. She was insistant, so I left her in her fave nest box and allowed her to go thru the process.

I collected eggs from underneath her everyday...I thought it was weird the other chickens would lay in the box with her there

Then, I used a large bowl as my "shield" to grab the eggs under hear. After about 3 weeks, she hopped off her nest and was finished being broody. She did get off her nest several times a day to eat and drink while broody though.

edited to add:

 

[FarmGirl01]

Usually not. Most ppl just take them off the nest as often as they can. If you are using here for eggs, you will need to kick her off. Then she will start laying again. Can take a few weeks. They can be very stubborn. Good luck.

 

[gryeyes]

Uh oh. She may or may not come out of it on her own... some do give up early, even with fertilized eggs. But some will sit on eggs for freakin' ever.... some will even sit on stuff OTHER than eggs forever, trying to hatch them. (Golf balls just do NOT ever hatch.)

Many folks either try to "break" the broodiness, or get fertile eggs for a broody to hatch, OR put new chicks under her during the night and remove the eggs, so she wakes up as a new mom in the morning.

All of those methods may or may not work.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Where are you located? If you are near me, I can give you some eggs for her to hatch.

If you want chicks, you can buy some fertile eggs for her to hatch in the Hatching Eggs section here. Or you can get a couple feed store chicks in a couple weeks and introduce them at night and see if she'll adopt them. If you don't want chicks, it's best to break them as brooding takes a toll on their bodies. There have been hens that have starved themselves to death trying to hatch. To break her, put her in a wire cage with NO bedding material. Just food and water. In a few days, she should be over her broodiness. Some people just throw them off the nest everytime they see them there.

I just now have my first broody, so I'm getting to experience this now.

 

[FarmGirl01]

....wakes up as a new mom. Thats so cute.

 

[ldrwnorman47]

I have a neighbor that has eggs all the time, I could get some there. I think she has around 100 chickens all together. I am from southern O-H-I-O Go Bucks !!
Anyway. THank you for all the advice. I will ponder these ideas and get back to everyone

 

[BayouPoules]

Quote:
I know,.. I liked that too! Sure is the easy way to become a new Mom!

Silly spelling edit!